Government Blog

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn evoked the Super Bowl in a speech on human trafficking Tuesday on the Senate floor.

Cornyn, R-Texas, called attention to the history of increased human trafficking surrounding sporting events such as the Super Bowl and called for Senate action on his legislation to “help put an end to these heinous crimes,” according to a statement from his office.

Cornyny’s release continues as follows:

“When many people hear about human trafficking, you think about something that doesn’t happen here in America; it happens somewhere else.

U.S. Rep. Randy Neugebauer, R-Lubbock, released the following statement today after introducing the Protecting Life in Funding Education Act.

According to the statement, the act — H.R. 463 or the “PRO-LIFE” act — would restrict funding to school districts that contract with third party “school-based health centers” unless they certify they won’t perform abortions and won’t provide abortion referrals or materials to students:

It’s interesting to see how other cities handle accommodations for their homeless population.

And it seems tents are an increasingly used method to house people on the cheap, with Seattle considering increasing its city-approved tent encampments.

A recent article in the Seattle Times reports that city’s mayor, responding to an increase in unauthorized homeless encampment, proposed legislation Wednesday that would allow and regulate new tent cities on public and private land.

State Sen. Charles Perry pre-filed a proposal aiming to maintain a minimum balance in the state’s Rainy Day Fund, his office announced this week.

Perry, R-Lubbock, filed SJR 19 requiring that a minimum balance equal to 5 percent of general revenue must remain in the Economic Stabilization Fund more commonly known as the Rainy Day Fund at all times.

A summary of the bill states a minimum balance must be met “other than in an emergency if certain requirements are met.”

State Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, filed a bill aimed to “ensure businesses have the freedom to choose whether or not to accept Federal Housing Vouchers as a form of payment for rent,” according to a statement from his office.

Perry announced the filing of Senate Bill 267 on Friday.

Currently, 11 states and more than 30 jurisdictions have passed regulations requiring businesses to accept government housing vouchers as a form of payment for rent.

Texas U.S. Senator John Cornyn called on President Barack Obama to consider bipartisan support when nominating a replacement for outgoing Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel.

Hagel, a former Republican senator from Nebraska who has served in the post since 2013, announced his resignation Monday after the New York Times reported he planned to do so under pressure from the Obama administration.

Cornyn issued the following statement after the President announced Hagel is resigning:

Governor-elect Greg Abbott announced Cameron County Judge Carlos Cascos as his prospective nominee for Texas Secretary of State, according to a statement from the Abbott campaign.This is his first appointment as Governor-elect since winning the office Nov. 4.

Appearing with Cascos at an economic development roundtable with a bipartisan group of Rio Grande Valley business and political leaders, and later at a news conference at the Capitol in Austin, Abbott spoke to Cascos’ qualifications to play a vital role in his administration: